Slow Fat Brained or Fast Joyful Brained Christ Followers
The educator in me has been struggling with church practices that are so focused on the analytical understanding [1] of the word of God. Even though, most of the churches I have been in talk about the importance of relationships, how they interact with the scripture take the form of an expert talking at the non-experts. My pastor friends know that there needs to be meaningful relationships, so they create small groups or affinity groups around shared interests, but their longevity wanes. In their desperation to find a technic that gets their congregation more involved, they put the scripture on the screen, handout open outlines, all with the hope of achieving transformed lives. In the end, the majority of their congregants have slow fat Christian brains. They know the dos and don’ts. They show up for various events, but few demonstrate deep transformation of character. I began wrestling with this issue in my Discovery Workshop with the exploration of the disconnect between various relationships in the extend church family. Those dedicated stakeholders applied their best analytics on how to create communities of transformation in their churches.
Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, in their book Rare Leadership:4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead,[2] tackle the challenge of creating relationally connected church communities. This book blends neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and biblical practices [3] to create a paradigm shift from reason and good choices [4] to true transformation through identity and belonging.[5] The authors introduce their model of leadership of “shared joy” as an alternative to “imposed fear.” [6]
Chapter one introduction explains the interconnection between fast thinking [7] and the necessary skills for developing meaningful relationships with those who one leads. The authors give an overview of the characteristics of fast and slow thinking in terms of creating a transformation community. There is an explanation of RARE, the four essential habits of a leader:
- Remain relational.
- Act like yourself.
- Return to joy.
- Endure hardship well. [8]
Chapters two through five details how fast brain relational skills benefit leadership and the consequences when they are taken for granted or ignored. There is an emphasis on leaders being in tune with the identity of both the individual and the group or community they are desiring to create. The authors of this book have tapped into a similar mindset as Brené Brown. Daring Greatly,[9] that humanity is designed for relationship. Leaders who understand this tacitly are able to create a “powerful group identity,” [10] that informs the individuals’ identities.
Chapters six through ten is the practical application of the fast-thinking RARE leadership. There is an emphasis on modeling and Imitation in the acquisition of new habits within a relational context. Transformational learning is done in community of “allies.” [11] This is a guilt free zone of sojourners.
The final chapter provides the reader with assessment tools to help in creating a plan moving forward.
The examples and applications in this book made “helpful connections between emotional intelligence, neuroscience, and leadership,” particularly in relationship to “developing right brain” leadership “skills.” [12]
[1] Marcus Warner and E. James Wilder, Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016), 44.
[2] Warner and Wilder, Rare Leadership.
[3] Adam J. Rasmussen, “Book Review: Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead,” Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 14, no. 1 (May 2017): 225, https://doi.org/10.1177/073989131701400128.
[4] Warner and Wilder, Rare Leadership, 44.
[5] Ibid., 46.
[6] Rasmussen, “Book Review,” 225.
[7] Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow, 1st pbk. ed (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013).
[8] Warner and Wilder, Rare Leadership, 25-26.
[9] Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, 1st ed (New York, NY: Gotham Books, 2012).
[10] Warner and Wilder, Rare Leadership, 90.
[11] Ibid., 117.
[12] Rasmussen, “Book Review,” 228.
About the Author
Denise Johnson
Special Education teacher K-12, School Counselor K-12, Overseas field worker in Poland,13 responses to “Slow Fat Brained or Fast Joyful Brained Christ Followers”
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Denise,
I’m fascinated to learn about your doctoral project through the post. Unfortunately, I guess we will have to wait until April 12th.
Andy,
Yes, so sorry. I am still processing how it melds together with Rare Leadership.
Denise, thanks for you insightful post. I was intrigued by your opening paragraph. I agree with so much of what you say there – namely, that churches can give lip-service to relationships but create more of a dependency on the part of attenders to the “expert” teacher. What one or two suggestions would you make to a Lead Pastor who genuinely wants to facilitate relationships and see them thrive?
Roy, I appreciate your question. I see so many of my friends asking this same question. I think leadership needs to take a big step back and redefine their goals around the people. It goes to being gift miners not just for potential leaders but everyone. Finding opportunities for everyone to use who God has created them to be within the family of God and to teach them to look for those opportunities in their circle of influence. As I read the scripture the goal of the church is to equip the saints for the work of the service. It doesn’t say to be on worship team or Sunday school, while those all have their place, I see them as family responsibilities not the work of the service.
If we are helping one another to do what God has created them for by teaching them respond to the voice of God, I don’t think we will have any needs that go unmet. I believe in God’s ability to lead and guide any and all of us if we would only listen and obey from a heart of grateful love.
ty for your post Denise,
I loved your thoughts on the the true and meaningful transformations. You mentioned, “In the end, the majority of their congregants have slow fat Christian brains. They know the dos and don’ts. They show up for various events, but few demonstrate deep transformation of character.” From your experience and study, what are two or three most practical vision/mission of small groups in the 21st century?
Jonathan,
I think that the key is equipping those within the groups to take ownership of developing their intimacy, with God. It also important that that intimacy has legs on. It is so easy for a small group to become ingrown. So, from the onset, participants need to be looking outward to their own circle of influence to bring the peace of God. It is less about some big event that has been planned by the church, rather to teach them to walk among their world and recognize the opportunities that God has prepared for them (Eph 2:10).
Hey Denise…thank you for your thoughtful engagement with Warner/Wilder’s book and for sharing its connections with your project portfolio work…so exciting to see the points of commonality in your and their work! What is your work adding to Warner/Wilder’s insights that will contribute to faith communities truly becoming communities of transformative relationships and action?
Great question!
I’m still chewing on it. I know that for me, they have helped to provide words to my tacit engagement with the process of discovery in my project. I think the one twist that I have added is intergenerational participants to my “identity groups.”
Denise: EQ is an area where I thought I used to be good at it, but the older I get, the less confident I am that I really am insightful in this area. Perhaps the greater weight of responsibilities that come our way when we grow older means a diminishing amount of time we can spend focusing on EQ. But this book helps, you know?
Concise! So, going to your title, which is it? Slow or Fast?
Denise: Did you experience the same lack of depth in relationships within the church while on the field as you do in America? If not, what do you think contributes towards that?
Great question, Kayli.
I think that culture plays a major role in EQ and relational connectedness. The small town I lived in puts a huge value on meaningful relationships. They refer to American relationships, as Facebook friends, shallow.
That being said, it’s not easy to become one of them. It requires time and an investment of oneself.
The mobility of the American society is a huge contributing factor. Polish kids have the same seat mate from kindergarten through the end of 3rd grade, with the same teacher. During my last elementary school assignment in the US, in the month of September teachers complained that they ran out of room on their rosters, because they had crossed out and added so many kids. Polish kids also know the extended history of their ethnicity. They are defined by communal song, dress, dance, art, religion, and history. In the US is a battle to see which sub-group gain ground on their individual cultural identity by silencing another group.
When we can find a common identity that can celebrate all the uniqueness among us then we might just be able to move forward in a redeemed collective identity where authentic connectedness in safe vulnerability exists.
Denise, thank you for your summary!
How would you compare W/W understanding/application of attunement with Bolsinger’s application?